First three paying customers after a year and a half. Here's what we learned.

This site has been incredibly valuable for me, so I wanted to try to give back a bit. I quit my job a year and half ago to build a product with my cofounder. We've been laser focused on a problem we're trying to solve and have finally started to generate some revenue. Here are a few ideas that have helped us:

1. Being small is an advantage.

As someone who has worked at a few big tech companies before, I have been amazed at how slow they can be. You're not at a disadvantage by only having 1 or 2 people on your team. Start seeing your size as a competitive advantage.

2. Don't follow trends.

AI is hot right now. The technology is incredible, but it's also tremendously hard to build a business on it when the landscape changes so quickly. I believe a better approach would be to build a viable business on known tech and then augment it with AI, or any other new thing.

3. Embrace the "infinite game" mentality.

As a serial creator, you need to be prepared to play the long game. This means doing as much as you can yourself, even if it's not the most efficient option in the short term. The skills you learn from one product will be valuable in the next.

4. Don't be embarrassed by your product.

It's natural to feel defensive when someone doesn't "get" your product, especially in the early stages. But instead of getting defensive, try to understand their perspective and see what insights you can gain from their feedback. Some of our best product learnings have come from the most critical feedback.

5. Flip an assumption.

To achieve a 10x improvement in your product, you need to challenge the assumptions that others take for granted. For example, Facebook assumed that storing information was valuable, but Snapchat turned that assumption on its head and built their product around ephemerality. Look for assumptions in your industry that have not been interrogated and consider flipping them.

6. People will not interpret things the way you think.

It's easy to assume that people will interpret your product or message the way you intend, but this is often not the case. Go into user interviews with the assumption that you have little to no understanding of how your product will be perceived, and be prepared to learn and adapt.

Closing

We're ecstatic to be making a bit of money and to cross that threshold. It's been a long and tough journey. It has also been the best year of my life.

You can learn more about what we're building here. www.area.cx/learn/founders

Happy to answer any questions.